Rev. Dr. John Roberts Rankin

Rev Dr. John Roberts Rankin, of Brownsville, PA, part time Pastor of the Roscoe Presbyterian Church, PCUSA, died Sunday, February 24, 2008 after a six month battle with cancer complicated by heart disease. The 76 year old Pastor was preceded in death by his parents, Rev. John A. and Ella Mae Hoover Rankin and his brother, Rev. Harry W. Rankin.

He is survived by his wife, Barbara Boyd Rankin and four children; Rebecca Eileen Rankin, Washington, PA, John Alexander Rankin, Loganville, GA, Elizabeth Kathleen Rankin McEvoy, New Gloucester, ME and Rachel Margaret Van Der Stuyf, Fishkill, NY; four grandchildren Keaton Elizabeth and Carson Rhys McEvoy, Tommy Alexander Rankin and Finn Roberts Van Der Stuyf. He is also survived by two sisters; Betty French, Port Charlotte, FL and Helen Hunter, McMurray, PA.

Rev. Rankin graduated from Muskingum College and from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary where he received both his Masters of Theology and Doctorate of Ministry degrees. He has served Churches throughout the larger Pittsburgh area, having started as Director of Christian Education at the Edgewood Presbyterian Church while starting his seminary training. He then was ordained and served as the first Pastor of the newly built Community Non-Denominational Church of Bradfordwoods. Four years later, he was ordained into the PCUSA when he went to serve the Mt. Prospect Presbyterian Church, Hickory, PA (now known as the Hickory United Presbyterian Church). He came to first serve the First Presbyterian Church, California, PA in 1968 and retired from there in 1997. He was in his tenth year of part time ministry at Roscoe at the time of his death.

He was a Church leader in Washington Presbytery, where he was a past Moderator. He had served as a member of the Council of both the Presbytery and the Synod of the Trinity. Dr. Rankin was also active in the California Ministerial Assoc. and in forming a united campus ministry to the California University community. A leader in ecumenical activities and worship, he con-celebrated the liturgy at the Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church, California, PA for seven years, when their priest was challenged with cancer. (He did so with the approval of the local Bishop and the encouragement of the PCUSA Synod Executive.) He led a week of Worship Services in the multi-national Anglican Church at St. Lawrence, Christ Church, Barbados, West Indies.

In his years of ministry he was active in the communities. He served 20 years as a Volunteer Fireman in Bradfordwoods, Hickory and California. He is a member and former President of the Board of the Center in the Woods as it evolved to the regional facility it is today. He was the past President and member of the Board of the California Public Library and Washington County Children and Youth Services.

A Memorial Celebration of, "The Life of Rev. John Rankin" is scheduled for 2:00pm, Sarturday, March 29, 2008 at the Center in the Woods, Rt. 88 between Brownsville and California, PA.

*(AT THE REQUEST OF THE FAMILY, THERE WILL BE NO PUBLIC VISITATION ONLY THE MEMORIAL SERVICE ON MARCH 29, 2008)

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to the "Rev. John Rankin Memorial" at Roscoe Presbyterian Church P.O. Box 716, Roscoe, PA 15477, First Presbyterian Church, 303 Fourth St. California, PA 15419 or Center in the Woods, 130 Woodland Ct. Brownsville, PA 15417.

Arrangements are being handled through the NOVAK FUNERAL HOME 515 Front St. Brownsville, PA 15417.

To sign the on line guest book, or to record a personal condolence, please log on to www.novakfuneralhome.net

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